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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
FAAN Media Relations
(703) 691-3179
media@foodallergy.org
GOVERNOR BREDESEN SIGNS BILL
TO ESTABLISH MODEL POLICY
TO MANAGE FOOD ALLERGIES FOR ALL TENNESSEE SCHOOLS
The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Management Act Signed Today with Special Guest, Travis Moths
(Fairfax, Va., June 20, 2006) — Six weeks ago, Travis Moths, a 10-year-old from Blount County was asked to be a special guest and push the button when Senator Raymond Finney voted for Senate Bill 2883 regarding food allergies and schools. Today, Moths assisted Governor Phil Bredesen in signing the Anaphylaxis Management Act of 2006 at 3 p.m. central at the Old Supreme Court Building in Nashville while holding the Governor’s hand. The act requires Tennessee schools to provide a safe environment for those students with severe food allergies and anaphylaxis. Moths, the son of Tom and Kellie Moths, will be a fifth grader at Carpenter’s Elementary School this fall and is allergic to peanuts, tree nuts, and shellfish. Says Travis Moths, “I’m really glad it got passed.”
The bill is highly significant as Tennessee is only the fourth state in the United States to mandate such a policy. The bill requires the commissioner of education, in consultation with the department of health and state board of education, to create a model policy for the management of issues relating to food allergies and anaphylaxis in schools. According to Governor Bredesen, “ We want to do everything we reasonably can to protect the health of children while they are at school, and these guidelines will be a valuable tool to local school systems in keeping children with life-threatening food allergies safe."
“If a school doesn’t have a student with food allergies, they soon will. Much like a fire drill, every school should have a plan in place for handling an emergency. Currently, 2.2 million school-aged children are afflicted with food allergies,” said Anne Muñoz-Furlong, Founder and CEO of The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN), the nation’s leading nonprofit advocating on behalf of those affected by food allergies and anaphylaxis.
According to Travis’ mom, Kellie Moths, “I am ecstatic about this bill. Tennessee now has a law that will heighten awareness of the seriousness of food allergies and the precautions that are needed. Our state is a leader in protecting the growing number of children with food allergy in schools by providing education and increasing awareness.” The bill protects children during all school activities including eating in the cafeteria, extracurricular activities, and field trips. Trained school personnel must accompany a child with food allergies on such trips, and be in visual contact with them at all times.
An estimated 12 million Americans have an allergy to common foods such as milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, wheat, and soy, making it a significant public health and food safety issue. As a result, food allergy impacts everyone — the allergic individuals, friends, family, classmates, restaurants and food service operations, food manufacturers, etc. Families and healthcare professionals nationwide are working to address this serious medical condition that now results in over 30,000 emergency room visits each year and more than 150 deaths annually. To prevent a reaction, individuals with food allergies must rely on strict avoidance of the food to which they are allergic.
This bill also requires schools to provide a teaching assistant for any child with documented anaphylaxis to guard the child's safety through constant supervision, monitoring of foodstuffs brought to school or on class trips, and riding with that child to and from school on the school bus.
"Governor Bredesen should be commended for his efforts,” continued Muñoz-Furlong. “ Tennessee is an example of leadership in the United States to help set a standard for care for addressing food allergies in schools."
For interview requests with the Moths family or
Anne Muñoz-Furlong or to request photos,
please contact FAAN by phone (703) 691-3179 or by email
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ABOUT FAAN
Founded in 1991, The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN) is the world leader in food allergy information. FAAN, a nonprofit organization based in Fairfax, VA, is dedicated to increasing public awareness about food allergy and anaphylaxis, to providing education, and to advancing research on behalf of all those affected by food allergies. The organization has just under 30,000 members in the United States, Canada, and 62 other countries.
FAAN provides information about food allergy and educational resources to patients, their families, schools, health professionals, pharmaceutical companies, the food industry, and government officials. Educational materials published by FAAN are reviewed for medical accuracy by the FAAN Medical Advisory Board, which is comprised of 14 of the country's leaders in food allergy science and medicine. In addition to printed materials, FAAN also sponsors awareness programs such as Food Allergy Awareness Week, Food Allergy Conferences, and the Mariel C. Furlong Awards for Making a Difference as well as fundraising walks across the country. Educational materials and information about special programs are also available online at www.foodallergy.org, www.fankids.org, and www.faanteen.org.
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